My students in our low-income, rural community, are fun-loving, sweet, yet some of them struggle with engagement, especially when it involves traditional subjects or conventional approaches to education.
My students of wildly differing abilities thrive when they can collaborate on engaging activities, especially when I provide a teen-friendly environment for them to explore!
They love to laugh and move and think together, especially when I can show them the joy in learning academic subjects! School may not always be their natural, primary focus, but they are bright, confident, caring and excited to try new endeavors, especially when I can connect literacy to their lives in the real world. What can I say? I love them!
My Project
My teenage students say they miss more than anything the joy of listening to their favorite elementary teachers and librarians read aloud a great book. Many of those classic children's books from earlier in their school lives deal with themes that all of us contend with, no matter what our age: how to express ourselves effectively so we get what we need, how our perspective shapes our perception of the world, conflicts with our friends, and fears of the future.
These fabulously illustrated children's books will give my students the chance to revisit their favorite childhood experience--the classroom read aloud-- while thinking about important issues they face today, in and out of school.
The books I've selected here will help support my curriculum while providing much needed joy and relief to teens who still need and value the comforts of childhood. These books will allow us to explore relevant concepts in a more relaxed, enjoyable, engaging way. I believe listening to these books aloud will open up my students' minds and hearts by giving them what we all long for: someone to tell us a good story.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Dieckmann and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
